Cooling channel pistons, in which a cooling channel (also known as cooling space) is arranged in the piston upper part (also known as piston crown), are known. The cooling channel generally has at least one opening into which a coolant is introduced. Once the latter has passed through the cooling channel, it leaves the cooling channel at a further opening or at the same opening.
DE 10 2011 007 285 A1 relates to a piston for an internal combustion engine, having a piston upper part and a piston lower part, an internal, preferably annular cooling channel for cooling the piston during operation of the internal combustion engine, and at least one inlet opening arranged on the piston lower part and at least one outlet opening arranged on the piston lower part, an inflow of coolant into the cooling channel and an outflow of coolant out of the latter taking place via said at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening, respectively, wherein the at least one inlet opening and/or the at least one outlet opening is/are surrounded by an annular bead or a ramp-like elevation which prevents a coolant level from dropping below predefined level, and which is formed integrally with the piston lower part. However, the annular bead can be created only at the level of the displaced material. Therefore, the possibility of influencing the level of the coolant in the cooling channel is also limited.